


Familiar

by orphan_account



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Fighting, Last sayings on one wrist, M/M, NUMBER 5 MAY SURPRISE YOU!, Repressed Feelings, Song lyrics on the other, Soulmarks, Soulmate AU, Top ten reasons the author is sorry..., heart-break, shouting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23305657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: He knows that song like the back of his hand. It plays at least once every night at the club. It’s one of Roman’s favorites, one that gets him on his feet and dancing. The beat pumps in Zsasz’ head like a constant reminder of his soulmate.
Relationships: Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	1. Cause Great Minds They Think Just The Same

**Author's Note:**

> SURPRISE! NOT DEAD! I have been having technical difficulties. ENJOY THIS ZSASZMASK THING BC HEY GAY VILLIANS!

Fear winds through Victor like a tornado, flaring up in his stomach and racing to his head. His hands shake, making it impossible to calm. His dark eyes are glued to the undersides of his wrists, the shakiest part of his body. There, tattooed on his wrists, clear as day, is two sayings.

_ Stop, just fuckin’ stop...You’ll be ok!  _ His left wrist says, the red letters curling around his wrist like a bracelet.

_ ‘Cause great minds, they think just the same!  _ He has etched into his right wrist. It twists jaggedly around his wrist like the same bracelet pattern on his left. Sunset scarlet fading into orange.

“Fuck…” Victor cursed, because he knew exactly who the markings led to. It felt like a heavy burden, like handcuffs made of led, dragging him under the ocean. Tears bubbled in his eyes, and then a sob tumbled out of his lips.  _ Life always did find a way to fuck me. _

He knows that song like the back of his hand. It plays at least once every night at the club. It’s one of Roman’s favorites, one that gets him on his feet and dancing. The beat pumps in Zsasz’ head like a constant reminder of his soulmate. He chuckles, thinking of how Roman was his soulmate.

It’s still odd to say in the same sentence, even in his head. Roman Sionis, is the soulmate of Victor Zsasz.

“Wow…” Victor says, as he slumps against his grimy bathroom sink. He buries his hands in his hair, and desperately pulls at the short strands of platinum blonde. He shortly wonders if Roman has soul marks yet, then quickly bans the thought.  _ Roman would never allow it to be seen.  _ But the thought of Roman having the matching lyrics, or a saying that would tumble out of Victor’s lips...

His phone ringing brings him out of the transe. The screen lit up with the name ‘Roman-Boss’. Victor answered, and put on his best smug voice.

“ ‘Ey, miss me already? Only gone 9 hours.” Victor starts, which gets him a scoff from his boss.

“Miss you? Why the hell would I miss you? Anyways...I have a job for you, Zsasz.” Roman’s tone is cold, yet Victor can imagine the grin on his face as he talks.

“All ‘ars, sir.” Victor looks one last time at his wrist before Roman continues talking.

~~

“You see him?” Roman says, a needy voice in Victor’s earpiece. Currently, Zsasz is trying to set up his sniper, on top of one of the highest buildings in Gotham.

“Yeah, yeah, I had my scope on him since I got up here…” Victor mumbles, setting his long range scope into place as he props the custom made gun against the edge. He takes aim, following the target around the grand gala for a minute. “So, tell me, why am I snipin’ Bruce Wayne?”

“Are you questioning me, Victor?” Roman growled, which sent a shiver down Victor’s back.

“Nah, just wanna know…” he sighs, taking aim again as he locks on. Just has to wait for the right moment.

“Why else? Money! He has more than me!” Roman yelled. Victor let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head softly.

“Give me a sec, and you’ll be the richest man in Gotham.” Victor promises, which earns a small chuckle from Roman. Zsasz’s wrists are burning, since he started talking to Roman, but just a tingle. When Roman laughed, his skin took a jump, and suddenly his wrists feel like fire and bites.

“3….2….Arg! One!!” He fires, despite his wrists feeling like he’s been attacked by dragons. The round silently leaves his sniper, flying through the glass of the gala, and-

Hits Wayne in the shoulder. The gala explodes into screams, everyone scattering to safety from the unknown assaulter. Victor bites into his forearm, cursing every god he can name at the searing pain in his wrists.

“Zsasz!? Zsasz is everything alright?” Roman’s worried tone brings Victor to reality. His sniper is loosely hanging off the edge of the building, and Victor quickly dives to grab it before it can fall.

“Y-Yeah...Something got my wrist, made me miss...Got his shoulder though...Sorry boss…” Victor says, shakily putting his sniper away and putting the case around his shoulder.

“Get out of there! Goddamn cops will be everywhere!” Roman instructs, and Victor follows orders, going down the fire escape. He looks at his wrists, finding the words have not moved or changed. They look like normal tattoos.

He hops down the last flights of stairs, quickly ducking into the car Roman let him drive. He starts the engine, and right as the cops are arriving, is gone in a blink of an eye.

~~

_ Can we get famili-famili-familiar?  _ The song is playing over the radio, making his right wrist ache in agony. He sighs, biting his lip as the Spanish part takes over. His phone buzzes, indicating Roman’s ever pending response to the failed mission.

_ Roman: Goddamnit Zsasz!! It’s all over the news! “Unknown hitman takes a chance on Bruce Wayne’s life!” “Shooting at Wayne Enterprises shocks guests!” _

There’s a pause, then Roman’s response gets ever more violent.

_ Roman: I don’t know what the fuck happened up there, but you better have a good excuse. You never miss your shots. N E V E R. _

“Ooh if only you knew…” Victor mutters to the phone, as if Roman could hear him. But instead, with one hand he texts back:

_ VZ: Listen, something happened to my wrist. I’m fine now, but I promise next time I’ll get him. Okay? _

It’s even scarier that Roman doesn’t respond. Soon, Victor finds himself parking the car, walking into the just-opening nightclub. The usual dancers spot him first, some avoiding his gaze and some wiggling their hips in his direction.

Dinah sees him from the stage, and beckons him over right as she ends her song. “You look awful.”

“Oh, wow, thanks!” Victor growls, practically seething with anger. He hates Dinah, for multiple reasons. But maybe for the words tattooed on her wrists:

_ Oh little bird…  _ Says her left, red words going down her forearm.

_ Falling down a ring of Fire.  _ Her right states, scarlet sunset colors following the same pattern. Victor knows he shouldn’t be jealous, but deep down he knows it’s also Roman. He hides his own wrists in his sleeves, glaring into Dinah’s eyes.

“How’s the “Little Bird” tonight, eh?” Victor tried his hardest to sound sweet or enduring. It made Dinah sneer, which made Victor smirk.

“Oh, perfectly fine Zsasz..” She then turns away, waving her tattooed arms with the intention to show. The red caught the light, shining like a ruby in the dark light. Victor sneered, turning away as he went to the elevator. He sighed, tapping the button to Roman’s penthouse as he settled into a neutral stance.

_ Ding… _

“Zsasz.” Roman greeted, a silk robe tied tightly around his waist. He’s standing at the window, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. Victor’s wrists were burning, and he desperately hid them in his sleeves.

“Boss, before you say anything...I apologize for what happened during that mission…” Victor says, but stops himself as Roman offers him the cigarette pack. Zsasz smiled, taking one out as he lit it with his lighter.

“Police know, Zsasz, they're looking for the sniper.” Roman started, seemingly calm, “We’ll have to stay low...Batman will be trying to find whoever did it.”

Victor nods, “Yes boss..” He reaches up to take a hit, and in a matter of seconds Roman has his hand wrapped tightly around Victor’s wrist.

“What’s this?” He asks, examining his left wrist with interest. Victor’s eyes widen, and he sputters.

“I-I think it’s nothin’! Just another mark!” He stuttered, face red in shame.  _ He wasn’t supposed to know, he can’t know!  _ But Roman just put his wrist down, frowning.

“Ok...I trust you..” The eye contact is so intense, everything seems to fade. Their leaning, the cigarettes almost touching.

“Boss, we have Harley Quinn in the basement as you asked.” They jump back, all contact broken as the goon looks shyly at the pair.

“Oh, really? Finally, some good fucking news…” Roman growls, turning away from Victor as he waved his arms. “Zsasz, entertain our guest. No killing, or peeling, or torture until I get there.” He says, flowing instinct with his robe as he heads to his room.

“Yeah boss…” Victor nods, going down to the basement, wrists aching and heart drenched.


	2. Soulbound, my dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor gets kidnapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh...Good luck with emotions?

“Little fucking bird….” Victor snarled, gun waving as his anger took over. Dinah looked so afraid, so defeated, it made him smirk. His soul mark was glowing off the lights, but he wants her to see them. He wants her to know that he’s Roman’s soulmate. “That’s why he needs me to look out for hi-”

_ Bang _ ! Something hit him, great force smashing into his skull as the world went dark.

~~

“So, what do we do with him?” A strangely familiar voice asks, bringing Victor back from the darkness.

“We keep him tied up, use Zsasz as leverage. Sionis doesn’t usually care for his goons, but Vics Different.” He can hear the songbird say, “He wouldn’t dare attack knowing we could and will kill Zsasz if needed.”

“How do you know?” The kid asked, sitting on the opposite side of the room from him. “What if he’s like ‘Ohhh screw him.’”

“He’s not gonna. Roman’s wrists are evident to it.” Dinah said, glancing over and noticing Victor’s eyes blink open. “Guys, guess who’s awake.”

“What do you mean ‘evident to it’?!” Was the first words out of Victor’s mouth. His wrists are warming up, both bounded together behind the chair he’s strapped to.

“Should I tell him?” Dinah asked, looking at the group. The crossbow killer looked down, the cop looked away, the kid pretended to be fascinated by her nails, and Harley put her hands up in defense.

“Don’t look at me, I ain’t the one who’s gotta tell him he and Romy are soulbound!” Silence floats in the air. “I just did, didn’t I?”

Victor starts to spiral, harder than he ever had. He knew there was a possibility, a small chance Roman returned those feelings. His wrists, for the first time in days, don’t sting. He’s genuinely happy, and before he knows what’s happening, he laughs. His signature, dangerous, laugh, that vibrates off the walls and against his chest.

“I think you broke him…” the kid whimpers, shielded by the cop. His laughs die on his tongue, and he grins.

“If what your saying is true….” he giggled, “Your all  _ fucked _ .” As he said it, Dinah pulled out a knife-his knife...And grinned.

~~

“Boss, we still haven’t heard from Zsasz...Should we move in?” A masked, clearly itching for some blood goon asks, twiddling his fingers next to Roman. Despite the mask covering his face, Roman looks over and glares.

“You  _ know  _ your supposed to sit and stay. So be a good boy, and go back to your pack!” The goon nods, quickly scurrying off to his little group. They have been waiting by the edge of the pier for an hour, waiting for Zsasz’s signal to move in.

_ Where are you, Victor?  _ Roman thinks, rubbing his suit cuff. Under the layers, and the gloves, lies a simple sentence in dirty greenish-blue.

Make it stop, Roman...Please make it stop. It hurts him to read it, knowing any day those words could slip out of Victor. But on his other wrist, is an even simpler saying.

Your hips roll, you do the calypso .  He sighs, smiling behind the mask at the cheesy lyrics. He looks up, and spots something in the distance, walking towards them. His heart gave a jump, it was Victor! He was returning! Just as he’s about to rush out to greet him, he notices how it wasn’t Victor.

It was Harley Quinn, and in her hand was Victor’s knife. And it was covered in blood.

“Hi-ya Romy.” She said, casually strolling as if there weren’t around 1000 goons around her, circling like predators.

Roman growled, “One more step and I’ll-”

“Uh, I don’t think so.” She tossed him a flip phone and the knife. “You want Zsasz back? Listen to the damn call would ya? And oh...no killin’ me.” Harley blew him a kiss, turned on her heel, and started skipping away.

“Boss...Should we follow her?” The same goon as before asked, and this time Roman put a bullet through his head. He waited, and a few moments later the phone rang. He picked it up, and held it to his ear as ragged breathing came through the other line.

“Goddamn…. _ Roman? _ ” Victor’s voice was full of pain. His breaths were drawn out and gasp, reminding Roman of when he’d gasp during a peeling. But this wasn’t that sort of gasp, not at all. This one was full of sorrow, as if he’d broken a promise.

“Zsasz...Where are you?” He asked, trying to keep his voice from wavering. His goons started to spread out, every one of them fanning to look. He heard Victor’s shallow chuckle.

“Look straight ahead, through the tiny scope on my knife..” Roman looked at the knife, finally finding the small hole and peering through. He saw him, tied to a chair while Dinah held a gun to his temple. On his other side the kid held the phone to his ear. “Hi.”

Roman nearly broke down, because it was the first time he’d seen Zsasz so beaten up. Blood trickled from wounds on his head, his platinum blonde hair stained red. His eyes were bloodshot, one blooming a shiner. His clothes were torn and bloody, and most likely he’d have internal bleeding too.

“What did they do to you…?!” Roman snarled, his face red in anger. Victor opened his mouth, only to have the gun shoved in his mouth. A few muffled words later, he’s spitting the gun out.

“I can’t say...but they have a proposal for you…” Victor grinned, looking down and shaking his head.  _ What’s he thinking…? _

“That is? Spit it the fuck out Victor!” Roman took a step forward, as if he could reach him. Most of the goons were already halfway there.

“In exchange for their freedom, they’ll give you the diamond back.” The kid holds up the shiny gem. “And in exchange for their safety from you...You get me back.” He looked at Roman, so much hope in his eyes.

“Tell them to meet me half-fucking-way...Victor, one more thing…” Roman sighed, deciding to come clean now. “I-”

The dial tone rang in his ear as the call died. He kept the phone on him, and then went off to save Victor.

~~

“Cmon.” Dinah grabbed Victor by the hair, yanking him up from the chair. His hands were bound to his back, a rope tightly wedged between his teeth. His body was sore, the blood lost getting to his head.  _ Just gotta make it to Roman. _

The gang of bitches followed them, and soon they were standing in the damp night air of the pier. Goons circled like wolves, and at the front of the pack was Roman. He was beautiful, dressed in that suit and the mask was perfect. Victor was shoved to the ground, on his knees as a gun pointed to the back of his head.

“Roman.” Dinah greeted coldly, glaring up and down the crime lord.

“Bitch bird…” Roman said back, then glanced at Victor. The silence was breaking him.

“I thwnk ww whould wiscuss aww wis?” Victor spoke through the rope, the silence broken perfectly.

“You give me Victor, and the diamond...and you’ll barely ever hear a peep from me again.” Roman extended his hand, in a handshake formation. Slowly, Dinah’s hand reached out and clasped his, sealing the deal for all to see. Victor was shoved forward, barreling down to the wooden planks of the pier. Roman caught him, untying his mouth and pulling the rope from his jaws.

“Can you stand?” Roman murmured, checking over Zsasz’s bruised and battered face. Victor nodded, stumbling up as Roman held his waist for support. “You're gonna be ok, Vic…” Roman whispered in his ear, making it seem like a simple passing.

Victor softly smiled, stumbling to stand beside him, just another accessory for now.

_ BANG! _

A shot rings out, sending the cop to the ground. In a blink of an eye, Roman’s head snaps to the side, seeing the goon who dared disobey him fall to the ground as another plunged a knife into his eye.

But it was too late, all hell broke loose. The bitches attacked, while the gangsters fought to protect the Roman and Victor. They turned, one limping as the other started helping them along. There was a  _ whoosh _ , a thunk, and a scream of pain. Roman turned, making eye-contact with his contract killer as all color drained from his face.

Victor has been shot in the neck with a crossbow bullet.

“VICTOR!!” Roman roared, catching the other as he fell to the ground in front of him. He adjusted the limp Assassin in his arms, ripping the mask off as Victor started to choke. “Victor, Victor no…”

“R-Rom-Roman…” Victor gasped, blood pooling out of his wounds. No one stopped fighting, blood and screams flying through the air. It was just them, the two.

“Goddamnit!! Fuck fuck  _ fuck _ …” Roman bit his lip, hot tears running freely down his cheeks. Victor reached for his arm, and gently tugged at his jacket, pulling it back to reveal his wrists.

“I-I wanted to t-t-tell ya fo-for….A while…” Victor choked, smiling sadly through the blood. “Can I s-see your wrists?”

Without hesitation, Roman undid his cuff, rolling it up to show off his green mark, which was quickly turning black.  _ No no no no… _

“Roman…” Victor’s hand came up, gently caressing the other cheek. “It hurts...it hurts so fucking much…” his breathing quickened, and he knew he was panicking. “Please, make it stop, Roman...Please make it stop.”

Roman pet the back of his hair, sobs rising out of his throat. “Victor...Stop, just fucking stop...You’ll be ok!!” He looked down at Victor’s face. His eyes were glazed, a light that once shone behind those brown orbs was diminished. “Victor?”

Roman looked down at his wrists, finding them pitch black. He sobbed, gripping Zsasz’s body as the last beats of his heart ended.

Victor was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry, I had to write this. Anyways, fluff soon fluff soon.


End file.
